Death of calf at Syracuse zoo adds to questions, concerns over captive
breeding. Sunday, June 11, 2006 By Mark Weiner Staff writer

Supporters and opponents of programs to breed Asian elephants in
captivity agree on a couple of things: Last week's delivery of a dead calf
in Syracuse was a tragedy. And it's something that happens too often.

The 330-pound female was the seventh of 12 Asian elephants born since
2000 at zoos and wildlife parks in North America to be delivered dead or die
within days from birth complications, according to Mike Keele, director of
an international breeding program for the endangered species.

The dead calf was delivered surgically Thursday at the Rosamond Gifford
Zoo after it became stuck in the birth canal of its mother, Romani, 29.
Romani was doing well and continuing to eat and drink at a normal rate
Saturday, said Sarah Fedele, a zoo spokeswoman.

"More than anything else, a tragedy like this is what animal rights folks
are using to support their call to close zoos," Keele said Friday. "I don't
think there's any science to support their theory. The experts can't really
decide what is causing this."

Of the six deaths before last week, three were stillborn calves and three
died within two days of birth, said Keele, chairman of the American Zoo and
Aquarium Association's Species Survival Program for Asian elephants. Those
numbers don't include the death of Kedar in August at the Syracuse zoo.
Kedar was born healthy, but died four days later after falling into a pool.

Dr. Elliot Katz, a Cornell University-trained veterinarian, suggests he
knows the reason for the birth problems.

"Why it's happening is all common sense," said Katz, founder and
president of In Defense of Animals, an organization based in San Rafael,
Calif.

"For an elephant to be ready for a birth, they need to be in good
shape," Katz said. "Elephants that are kept in zoos are not in the best of
shape."

Katz said lack of exercise, obesity and the unnatural conditions in
captivity contribute to a high rate of stillbirths and birth complications.

His group tracked both Asian and African baby elephant deaths in the past
five years. The Syracuse calf was the 13th to die through stillbirths or
other birth complications. Three mothers also died as a result of the birth
problems, according to the group.

Katz said other conditions that contribute to the deaths are the
practices of confining zoo elephants to concrete surfaces, chaining mother
elephants by three or four legs during labor and delivery, and isolating
laboring elephants from the rest of the captive herd.

Chuck Doyle, director of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, said elephant obesity
and lack of exercise can play a big role in maternal health. But few of the
claims from animal rights groups are true at the Syracuse zoo, he said.

"Sometimes, we have a tendency to overfeed our elephants in captivity and
that's not good," Doyle said. "The diet we give them is a lot richer than
what they eat in the wild. So it's a real challenge to keep our elephants
thin. But we've been pretty successful at doing that."

Doyle also said the zoo places a priority on exercise.

"We here not only walk our elephants every day, but we use exercise to
keep them fit," Doyle said, noting that the elephants go through vigorous
daily routines with their handlers.

While it is true that laboring mothers are chained by their legs, Doyle
said it protects the babies from being hurt by a misstep from the mother. At
Syracuse births, other elephants are always brought in to watch and offer
support to the mother, he said. Romani's 9-year-old daughter, Kirina, stayed
by her during her labor last week.

The Syracuse zoo has recorded eight elephant births since 1990, including
three live calves for Romani. Last week's calf was the zoo's third to be
delivered dead.

Doyle said he suspects the reason for the birth mortality rate has
something to do with the number of first-time mothers. "You've got to look
at differences with first-time moms and moms with multiple babies," he said.
"First-time mothers in all species do not have as good a track record with
successful deliveries."

Keele, who is also deputy director of the Oregon Zoo in Portland, agrees
with Doyle. The Oregon Zoo has produced 27 elephant births since 1962, the
most in North America.

"We found first-time mothers that were older had more of a risk," he
said. "But we found animals that had more than one calf were at less of a
risk."

Keele said no reliable studies of elephant birth mortality have been done
in the wild. In Defense of Animals cited studies of wild African elephants,
larger than their Asian cousins.

Katz urged that Romani not be bred again, noting she had been given
massage and labor-inducing drugs in each of her four deliveries.

"It was clear that when the previous births required outside
interference, then they should have known that would happen again," Katz
said. "All I can say is they should never breed her again. It would be a
tragic mistake. All you are doing is endangering the life of the elephant
and her baby."

Doyle said the assistance was simply to speed the delivery so Romani
would have less pain during labor.

Doyle said it is too soon to decide whether Romani will breed again. But
he said there is no question about the zoo's commitment to the elephant
program.

Leaders at the Onondaga County-owned zoo are considering a $4.5 million
construction project that would build a new indoor sleeping quarters and an
exercise building for its elephant herd, which now numbers four.

Doyle said it is critical for breeding to continue because fewer than
52,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild. About 500 live at zoos and
wildlife parks in North America, but that population is dying off faster
than it can reproduce.

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